


Rejection

by BlackMageEljin



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, This was supposed to be cute and then it got sad, set pre canon, some Judar introspection that was not intended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26209264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackMageEljin/pseuds/BlackMageEljin
Summary: Judar is excited to show off his new clothes and offers to take Hakuryuu to a dungeon for the first time. He doesn't get the answer he was expecting.
Relationships: Judal | Judar/Ren Hakuryuu
Kudos: 29





	Rejection

Judar, now 14, had just gotten back from his first dungeon escapade with one of the Rens. It was of course, not with the prince of his choice- rather Kouen- but it had still left him excited for the prospect of getting Hakuryuu to come with him instead.

Coincidentally, it was during this outing he had finally gotten a chance to change his look from the stuffy, frilly robes he had always been forced to endure. He had seen something he wanted while they were in the cities to the west, and eventually he had bitched enough that his shitty keepers from the organization finally relented. Some people were already complaining about it, but most of them shut up when Kouen said the clothes suited him, that the normal rules didn't apply to him because he was a Magi. Served them right.

He couldn't wait to see Hakuryuu's reaction~

"Hakuryuu~"

The young prince, now 12, was unsurprisingly in a courtyard training with his guandao. He blinked up at the sound of him name coming from a familiar voice only to see-

"L-lord priest, what are you wearing!?" Hakuryuu stammered with wide eyes and red cheeks. Judar grinned. Ah yes,  _ perfect. _

Hakuryuu was just beginning the awkward teenage years where the bodies of people around him began to look different. Girls were starting to look cute and pretty, even though he would admonish himself for such thoughts for distracting him from his goals.

_ But this _ -

Judar's  _ entire midriff  _ was bare, the tiny piece of cloth that Hakuryuu could not justify calling a  _ shirt _ was so thin even the bottom lines of his chest were exposed. The sash draped over his shoulders retained some semblance of modesty, but it hardly left anything to the imagination. The jewelry he'd donned technically covered much, but there was something about it Hakuryuu couldn't place that was just so…  _ scandalous.  _ At least the… pants? Were they pants? They were baggy and poofy, whatever the garment he was thankfully that at least obscured his lower half. But then, they sat so low on his hips…

Hips that were pale and creamy. His eyes were fixed on the expanse of exposed skin despite his best efforts. All the lines of newly forming muscles, his navel that twisted with the sway of those hips.

_ This was absurd. _

"Do you like it?" Judar asked cheerily, stalking towards the prince like a lion that had cornered it's prey. He leaned in, invading Hakuryuu's personal space only for the prince to lurch back, clutching the guandao in front of him as though he could hide behind the thin haft of the spear.

"W-what sort of question is that!?"

Judar snickered. Hakuryuu was just too cute when he was embarrassed like this.

He mercifully took a step back, spinning around to show off the new look. "It suits me much more right? I always hated all those bulky robes, they were so annoying and heavy. This is much better don't you think?"

Hakuryuu gulped nervously. The position Judar had stopped in left the sash hanging just so, covering the flatness of his chest. He really looked like he could have been a girl…

"Aren't… those for women? Maybe I'm not familiar with the country's customs…" that was being generous, at best. Those were definitely women's clothes right? He spent a lot of time studying the lands outside Kou's borders…

Judar blinked, seemingly confused by the statement. He sort of remembered other people saying that too, but it wasn't someone important like Kouen or Koumei- but now that  _ Hakuryuu _ had said it it had definitely gotten through to him. He looked down at himself.

"Huh? I guess? It doesn't matter, I look better in them than some girl anyway, right?"

Hakuryuu turned bright pink, his skin matching the scarred side of his face. This time he just tore his eyes away completely. This whole conversation was so inappropriate…

"I, um, I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on the high priest's appearance…"

Judar grinned another cheshire grin. Oh, Hakuryuu was just  _ priceless _ like this. He leaned in again.

"Aww what's wrong? Too embarrassed to be able to say how hot I look?"

Hakuryuu went from pink to red. "That's not something a prince of Kou should be saying to anyone! Much less to you!" He snapped, but doing so put their faces closer together and he froze. Just- what was Judar thinking!? He wasn't serious right? He was just picking on him and teasing him like he always did. He was just there to make his life even harder, as usual.

At the thought he pushed Judar away and took several large steps back, clinging to his polearm again as he tried to catch his breath. Just what was wrong with him? With  _ both _ of them!? Judar wasn't really planning on running around dressed like a foreign girl from now on right? This had to be some joke- there was no way it was okay for the image of the high priest to be something like that.

When he finally looked back at the other boy, Judar was making a face that looked like he was disappointed. What? Had he actually offended him? But he couldn't be serious right? But before he could ask it was gone, replaced with another smarmy grin.

"You're way too uptight, you know that?"

Hakuryuu frowned. "It's called being responsible, Judar."

The Magi beamed despite being admonished. He absolutely loved it when he got Hakuryuu angry enough to actually use his name. Well, he loved it when Hakuryuu was angry in general, but that was besides the point.

He took a step closer, but just a step, not enough to hover over Hakuryuu as he had been before. Still the prince eyed him wearily.

"Hey, Hakuryuu, you should go to a dungeon with me!"

"Huh?"

Hakuryuu was confused to say the least. The offer and come out of nowhere, and Judar's disposition had seemed to change so suddenly. He was looking at him with such bright eyes…

"I mean, sure, I had fun with Kouen, but it's not the same! I want to go with you, Hakuryuu! I will make you a great king vessel! There's a dungeon I already have in mind- so won't you come with me?"

Judar offered his hand, smiling brightly at the other boy. Hakuryuu was understandably nervous, his eyes flicking between Judar's hand and his expression.

He seemed so honest, but… he couldn't trust him. He was one of theirs…

"...why do you want to go with me? The others are older. And… stronger…" his eyes drifted off to the middle distance at the last admission, unable to keep the bitterness from staining his voice. He would catch up eventually. Soon.

Judar's smile turned into something giddy. There it was, the unmistakable sight of Hakuryuu struggling against his fate. He was so beautiful with hatred burning in his eyes like that. Would he fall soon? He hoped so. Would it be before or after they went to a dungeon? It would probably be easier if it was after, the Djinn would become antsy about a fallen king, but he was impatient. He just wanted Hakuryuu to catch up to him already!

"What? Isn't it obvious? I have way more in common with you than those other guys! So lets-"

Judar reached out to take Hakuryuu's hand, only for it to be slapped away.

"What could I possibly have in common with someone like you!?"

Judar blinked slowly, standing there in shock. What? What the hell? What did Hakuryuu mean- could he really not see it? They were exactly the same!

"Don't you want power!? If you don't get stronger, all your siblings are gonna leave you behind!" He snapped back. He couldn't say it outright, not in the witch's castle, but he knew what Hakuryuu needed that power for. He'd have to realize…

Hakuryuu stood up straight, holding his guandao properly at his side and presenting himself like the proud prince that he was. 

"I don't need any help from the likes of you!" He snarled, his glare turning to Judar in full force. He was by  _ no means _ just another power hungry warmonger. He was incomparable to his step-siblings- his mission wasn't something so petty, and he wasn't going to be turned into another pawn for that organization.

The words hit Judar like a physical blow. He had never been rejected before, and being rejected by Hakuryuu, in this, it was almost too much to bear.

Was it his own fault? He teased Hakuryuu a lot growing up, but he never thought the prince actually disliked him. What happened? When did it change? What did he do to make him think he really wanted the same things as that shitty organization? Was this also Gyoukuen's fault? Most things were, but it felt too easy to write something like this off on her.

Hakuryuu was his everything. He was the king he had chosen, he was the person he cared about most, and he was the only person who was just like him. They had suffered so much together, had Hakuryuu really not realized that? He thought Hakuryuu understood him- he was the only person who could, but he didn't. Judar suddenly felt even more alone than he had before.

Hakuryuu's hatred was the thing he loved most about him, but having it turn against him… it hurt, a lot. It was painfully ironic, that it was the thing that was now blinding Hakuryuu from realizing he was all he needed to achieve all of his goals. Maybe the witch realized they'd actually be a threat to her if they stood together, so it probably was her fault after all…

His gaze drifted down to the hand that had been slapped away as it slowly clenched into a fist. He didn't know what to say- he was good at magic, at destruction and creation, but he was horrible with words. How did he explain all these feelings to Hakuryuu? How did he make him understand? If… if he didn't have Hakuryuu, what was the point of anything?

He silently cursed his fate for the umpteenth time in his life. No, he wouldn't just give up here. He had to have faith in Hakuryuu- he'd figure it out eventually. They'd be able to escape this shitty destiny together, he'd just-

"I'll wait for you." He looked up at Hakuryuu finally, his eyes burning with determination.

One by one he felt drops of rain begin to fall against his skin. It was like the sky was crying the tears the world's Magi could bear to let fall himself.

Hakuryuu frowned deeply. "I told you, I don't want your help."

Judar huffed. "Fine! See if I care! You'll curse your fate one day and come crawling back, you'll see!" The Magi bit out angrily. With that he turned on his heel and stormed off. Somehow, the fact Hakuryuu didn't say anything after that, didn't call after him at all, hurt even more.

He spent the rest of the day curled up in his bed, crying into the sheets now stained with his running makeup. It was a viscous cycle- crying reminded him of Hakuryuu, and that made him cry more.  _ Damn it all! _ How could he? How could he really think he wanted anything to do with that vile bitch…

He had been too naive- this wasn't a fairytale, Hakuryuu wasn't the kind of prince that would come save him from the evil witch. It wasn't like he could be the heroine of that kind of story anyway, even if he tried to dress like one…

At least that was something of a consolation, thinking back about Hakuryuu acting cute and flustered before he'd gone and pissed him off for real. He'd obviously liked how he looked in these clothes, even if he was too embarrassed to say it. Right then, Judar decided he wouldn't ever wear anything else. At least not until Hakuryuu figured things out.

Their story was bound to be a bloody one, it probably wouldn't have a real happy ending, but… he was sure one day, they'd escape that evil bitch's clutches and finally take her down. Hakuryuu would come around, he had to. He'd realize they were exactly the same, that they've been living in the same hell this whole time, he just needed time. He could give that to him. He could wait.

Judar finally fell asleep like that, dreaming of the day Hakuryuu would finally take his hand. In the end, that moment had marked a great change- their childhood was over, the days of the precious few carefree moments of trailing after the prince were done and gone. Now it was up to Hakuryuu to come to his side. From then on they would be fighting for their lives.


End file.
